UM to Partner with Gilbert on Innovation Center at Fail Jail Site

**401don** · October-29-19, 04:49 PM

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/bu...it/2497898001/

There had been speculation about this for a while. Stephen Ross is stepping up as well.

**DetroitSoldier** · October-29-19, 05:25 PM

This will be great for the Gratiot corridor. I hope they work closely with MDOT to make sure their design works well with the removal of I-375.

**southen** · October-29-19, 05:54 PM

It looks like a very speculative rendering. The main building they are focused on may be in the design process and going to look similar to that, but it is clear that they aren't exactly sure how they programing for the rest of the site is going to go. I hope whatever goes in is incredibly dense with a handful of 15-20 story buildings for residential.

The biggest positives here is the presence that UofM will have downtown and the draw it will be as well as having Ross invested. He doesn't attach his name to just anything and will make sure that it is of the utmost quality and succeeds. Hopefully it is the first of many investments from him.

**Hypestyles** · October-29-19, 06:39 PM

hopefully this project will get underway soon with local outreach for construction jobs, and hopefully the post-construction jobs will be plentiful.

what would be involved in renovating 1300 Beaubien?

**Metro25** · October-29-19, 07:41 PM

Billionaires Stephen Ross and Dan Gilbert plan to build a $300 million,190,000-square-foot innovation center for the University of Michigan along Gratiot Avenue between I-375 and St. Antoine Street, the site of Wayne County's failed jail project. The project will include an adjacent midrise residential tower, a business incubation center and conference center and hotel developed at the former Detroit police headquarters building at 1300 Beaubien St.

From Crains https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...l-site-detroit

**bartocktoo** · October-30-19, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Metro25

From Crains https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-e...l-site-detroit

With Ross involved this will get done sooner rather than later.

**hybridy** · October-30-19, 09:21 AM

flashy renderings from KPF for your enjoyment

The planned Detroit Center for Innovation will feature a 190,000-square-foot research and graduate education building for UM students in automotive mobility, artificial intelligence, sustainability, cybersecurity, financial technology and other tech fields.

"The whole idea of that is using [[the innovation center) to get companies to relocate to Detroit and take advantage of the talent coming there," Ross said in an exclusive interview with Crain's.

Blurb from UofM:
https://detroit.umich.edu/news-stori...rt-of-detroit/

**Metro25** · October-30-19, 09:23 AM

I'm not so sure Ross being involved means it'll happen quickly since Hudson Yards took decades.

**bartocktoo** · October-30-19, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by Metro25

I'm not so sure Ross being involved means it'll happen quickly since Hudson Yards took decades.

That's a different creature though. And this is a U of M development.

**iheartthed** · October-30-19, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by Metro25

I'm not so sure Ross being involved means it'll happen quickly since Hudson Yards took decades.

I share skepticism that Ross being involved will move the needle one way or the other, but Hudson Yards is the largest private development in American history. But all three involved parties [[U of M, Gilbert, Ross) have a good track record of executing on projects.

**southen** · October-30-19, 10:00 AM

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This image tells me that the only thing that has been fleshed out is the hub building on Gratiot. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the site is designed and what sort of height/density is implemented.

**Metro25** · October-30-19, 10:34 AM

^ I would think everything they currently mentioned would be built at around the same time. But also this would probably be an on-going project with additions over many years.

I also don't think it's a coincidence that MDOT recently revealed more aggressive highway removal plans for this area. Gilbert, Ross and Whitmer are likely pushing it so they can have as much land as possible to develop this campus.

**rb336** · October-30-19, 11:10 AM

I'm not impressed with the rendering - it looks like someone took the Glass House and tried to push it over the long way. None of those involved ever do anything daring with their architecture.

Originally Posted by southen

It looks like a very speculative rendering. The main building they are focused on may be in the design process and going to look similar to that, but it is clear that they aren't exactly sure how they programing for the rest of the site is going to go.

**DeLemur** · October-30-19, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by Metro25

^ I would think everything they currently mentioned would be built at around the same time. But also this would probably be an on-going project with additions over many years.

I also don't think it's a coincidence that MDOT recently revealed more aggressive highway removal plans for this area. Gilbert, Ross and Whitmer are likely pushing it so they can have as much land as possible to develop this campus.

True, 375 advancement is going fast. The real estate perspective is fine, but regionally we do need more advanced businesses and I hope this center can produce the people to make it happen.

Does anyone know where U of M currently is with technological education like high tech manufacturing, software, and robotics? Feels like they're going to need a heavy partner to lean on perhaps and I would guess Ross is good for the real estate part but not the education part. Though that's just a guess.

**ParisianLesion** · October-30-19, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

I'm not impressed with the rendering - it looks like someone took the Glass House and tried to push it over the long way. None of those involved ever do anything daring with their architecture.

I suppose it depends on your definition of "daring" but I would certainly think that most people find Hudson Yards to be quite "daring" and that was a Stephen Ross, the driving force behind this, development.

**renf** · November-02-19, 08:41 AM

The U of M owns the impressive Rackham Building in Detroit's Cultural
Center. It had been leased to Wayne State but, I think, that lease is
over. Will the U of M retain the Rackham Building or sell it? Do they
need both the major new building on Gratiot and the very impressive
Rackham building? There is something historically significant about
the University of Michigan establishing a major campus close to the
site when Father Richard and Judge Woodward founded the institution in 1815.

**K-slice** · February-15-20, 01:52 PM

Bedrock is full steam ahead on the new jail complex they're building for Wayne County just east of 75. Drove by there yesterday and what had been reduced to dirt lots this fall has several steel structures with lots of activity.

Point being, Danny G. didn't agree to build Wayne county a brand new criminal justice complex to just sit on a dirt lot blocks away from his office. Neither of the developers involved have a track record of not delivering.

**Metro25** · February-15-20, 04:12 PM

Uhh the 78 is like 90% fantasy concept right now and the state of Illinois is paying for it with public dollars [[god know's how a heavily in debt state is doing this but ok). The vast majority of those flashy concept renders will not be happening.

Related is also developing that site, but unlike the UofM campus Ross is not financing any of it. There was a minor update a few weeks ago when Bedrock said their main focus other then Hudsons was the UofM campus.

Quote from Crains

DPI doesn't yet have backing of a major private donor like Stephen Ross, a major University of Michigan benefactor who's helping underwrite the Detroit project. The billionaire founded real estate developer Related, which is developing both the Detroit site and DPI.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/john-pletz-technology/can-u-i-tech-hub-rival-bostons-kendall-square

Also they didn't break ground either. They claimed construction on the 78 might start in the next 12 months.

**JK313** · February-15-20, 05:40 PM

They broke ground on a road nearly a year ago. How does this relate to the failed jail site again?

**louis** · February-17-20, 09:49 AM

Ross is being brought on for his work on Cornell Tech, which was completed in about three years time. As I understand it, The University is going to want it's buildings up before the apartments and offices that are also part of the project.

**motorcity** · December-19-20, 06:20 PM

Update?

**Gistok** · December-19-20, 07:54 PM

That's nice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JddNDtC-Yrs

**EGrant** · December-20-20, 10:34 AM

What a strange, sad little outburst. And on a Saturday night!

**401don** · December-20-20, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

That's nice!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JddNDtC-Yrs

This is great. I'll be sure to respond "That's nice" anytime I see his post.

**Hypestyles** · December-29-20, 04:01 PM

i wonder what, if anything, might be underway by this spring or summer? obviously COVID has delayed various construction endeavors [[even though there are various ones going on now like the planned Meijer on East Jefferson)